Alkaline catalyst

Secondary acetylenic alcohols are prepared by ethynylation of aldehydes higher than formaldehyde. Although copper acetyUde complexes will cataly2e this reaction, the rates are slow and the equiUbria unfavorable. The commercial products are prepared with alkaline catalysts, usually used in stoichiometric amounts. 

A VinylcarbaZole. Vinylation of carba2ole proceeds in high yields with alkaline catalysts (212,213). The product, 9-ethenylcarba2ole, [1484-13-5] forms rigid high-melting polymers with outstanding electrical properties. 

Additions of mercaptans with alkaline catalysts give 3-alk5ithiopropionates (29). In the case of hydrogen sulfide, the initially formed 3-mercaptopropionate reacts with a second molecule of acrylate to give a 3,3 -thiodipropionate (30,31). 

Examples include acetaldehyde, CH CHO paraldehyde, (CH CHO) glyoxal, OCH—CHO and furfural. The reaction is usually kept on the acid side to minimize aldol formation. Furfural resins, however, are prepared with alkaline catalysts because furfural self-condenses under acid conditions to form a gel. 

PhenoHc resins are prepared with strong acid or alkaline catalysts. Occasionally, weak or Lewis acids, such as zinc acetate, are used for specialty resins. 

Alkaline Catalysts, Resoles. Resole-type phenoHc resins are produced with a molar ratio of formaldehyde to phenol of 1.2 1 to 3.0 1. For substituted phenols, the ratio is usually 1.2 1 to 1.8 1. Common alkaline catalysts are NaOH, Ca(OH)2, and Ba(OH)2. Whereas novolak resins and strong acid catalysis result in a limited number of stmctures and properties, resoles cover a much wider spectmm. Resoles may be soHds or Hquids, water-soluble or -insoluble, alkaline or neutral, slowly curing or highly reactive. In the first step, the phenolate anion is formed by delocali2ation of the negative charge to the ortho and para positions. 

Alkaline catalysts are also effective in the polymeri2ation—depolymeri2ation of methylene glycol. The mechanism of the formaldehyde addition to the phenolate is still not completely understood. The most likely mechanism involves the contribution of phenol hemiformals (10) (5). 

Hydrolysis. As for inorganic silanes, no reaction occurs between organohydrosilanes and water. The presence of acidic or alkaline catalysts, however, brings about the reaction according to the following scheme ... 

Reaction of olefin oxides (epoxides) to produce poly(oxyalkylene) ether derivatives is the etherification of polyols of greatest commercial importance. Epoxides used include ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, and epichl orohydrin. The products of oxyalkylation have the same number of hydroxyl groups per mole as the starting polyol. Examples include the poly(oxypropylene) ethers of sorbitol (130) and lactitol (131), usually formed in the presence of an alkaline catalyst such as potassium hydroxide. Reaction of epichl orohydrin and isosorbide leads to the bisglycidyl ether (132). A polysubstituted carboxyethyl ether of mannitol has been obtained by the interaction of mannitol with acrylonitrile followed by hydrolysis of the intermediate cyanoethyl ether (133). 

This equihbrium favors COS up to ca 500°C. At higher temperatures, COS dissociates increasingly, eg, to 64% at 900°C. The reaction may be mn at 65—200°C to produce carbonyl sulfide if an alkaline catalyst is used (31). A Rhc ne-Poulenc patent describes the manufacture of carbonyl sulfide by the reaction of methanol with sulfur at 500—800°C (32). 

Typical commercial ethoxylated sorbitan fatty acid esters are yellow Hquids, except tristearates and the 4- and 5-mol ethylene oxide adducts which are light tan soHds. These adducts, as well as the 20-mol adducts of the triesters, are insoluble but dispersible in water. The monoester 20-mol adducts are water soluble. Ethoxylated sorbitan esters are widely used as emulsifiers, antistatic agents, softeners, fiber lubricants, and solubilizers. In combination with the unethoxylated sorbitan esters or with mono- or diglycetides, these are often used as co-emulsrfiers. The ethoxylated sorbitan esters are produced by beating sorbitan esters with ethylene oxide at 130—170°C in the presence of alkaline catalysts. 

Natural Ethoxylated Fats, Oils, and Waxes. Castor oil (qv) is a triglyceride high in ticinoleic esters. Ethoxylation in the presence of an alkaline catalyst to a polyoxyethylene content of 60—70 wt % yields water-soluble surfactants (Table 20). Because alkaline catalysts also effect transestenfication, ethoxylated castor oil surfactants are complex mixtures with components resulting from transesterrfication and subsequent ethoxylation at the available hydroxyl groups. The ethoxylates are pale amber Hquids of specific gravity just above 1.0 at room temperature. They are hydrophilic emulsifiers, dispersants, lubricants, and solubilizers used as textile additives and finishing agents, as well as in paper (qv) and leather (qv) manufacture. 

Epichlorohydrin and Bisphenol A-Derived Resins. Liquid epoxy resins maybe synthesized by a two-step reaction of an excess of epichl orohydrin to bisphenol A in the presence of an alkaline catalyst. The reaction consists initially in the formation of the dichi orohydrin of bisphenol A and further reaction by dehydrohalogenation of the intermediate product with a stoichiometric quantity of alkaH. 

Trihalomethyl ketones react with alcohols ia the presence of alkaline catalysts even at room temperature (94) ... 

Temperatures. With alkaline catalysts, the reaction often takes place at RT or even lower temperatures. With acid catalysts, temperatures near 100°C are commonly used. With no catalyst, temperatures - 250° C may be required for a practical reaction rate. 

Ethyl Vinyl Ether. The addition of ethanol to acetylene gives ethyl vinyl ether [104-92-2] (351—355). The vapor-phase reaction is generally mn at 1.38—2.07 MPa (13.6—20.4 atm) and temperatures of 160—180°C with alkaline catalysts such as potassium hydroxide and potassium ethoxide. High molecular weight polymers of ethyl vinyl ether are used for pressure-sensitive adhesives, viscosity-index improvers, coatings and films lower molecular weight polymers are plasticizers and resin modifiers. 

With Hydrogen Cyanide. Ethylene oxide reacts readily with hydrogen cyanide ia the presence of alkaline catalysts, such as diethylamine, to give ethylene cyanohydria. This product is easily dehydrated to give acrylonitrile ia 80—90% yield ... 

Sulfuric acid is also a very satisfactory catalyst aluminum alkoxides also are useful, especially when the alcohols would be adversely affected by strong acids. Sodium alkoxides produce undesirable side reactions and give lower yields. When alkaline catalysts are employed, an alkaline polymerization inhibitor, such as j j-phenylenediamine or phenyl-d-naphthylamine, should be used instead of hydroquinone. 

Either acid or base catalysis may be employed. Alkaline catalysts such as caustic soda or sodium methoxide give more rapid alcoholysis. With alkaline catalysts, increasing catalyst concentration, usually less than 1% in the case of sodium methoxide, will result in decreasing residual acetate content and this phenomenon is used as a method of controlling the degree of alcoholysis. Variations in reaction time provide only a secondary means of controlling the reaction. At 60°C the reaction may takes less than an hour but at 20°C complete hydrolysis may take up to 8 hours. 

The commercial interest in epoxide (epoxy) resins was first made apparent by the publication of German Patent 676117 by I G Farben in 1939 which described liquid polyepoxides. In 1943 P. Castan filed US Patent 2 324483, covering the curing of the resins with dibasic acids. This important process was subsequently exploited by the Ciba Company. A later patent of Castan covered the hardening of epoxide resins with alkaline catalysts used in the range 0.1-5% This patent, however, became of somewhat restricted value as the important amine hardeners are usually used in quantities higher than 5%. 

To obtain high molecular weight polymers the tetramer is equilibrated with a trace of alkaline catalyst for several hours at 150-200°C. The product is a viscous gum with no elastic properties. The molecular weight is controlled by CcU eful addition of monofunctional material. 

Unsaturated y-lactones, c.g., a- (23) and / -angelica lactone (24), are well known. Compounds 23 and 24 are both converted by alkaline catalysts into an equilibrium mixture in which 23 predominates, the amount of the hydroxy form (25) present at equilibrium being exceedingly small. True a-hydroxy furans are unknown, and, although the preparation of both a- and / -bydroxyfurans has been reported, these claims have often been refuted (see, e.g., reference 14). 

The initiator usually constitutes less than 1% of the final product, and since starting the process with such a small amount of material in the reaction vessel may be difficult, it is often reacted with propylene oxide to produce a precursor compound, which may be stored until required [6]. The yield of poloxamer is essentially stoichiometric the lengths of the PO and EO blocks are determined by the amount of epoxide fed into the reactor at each stage. Upon completion of the reaction, the mixture is cooled and the alkaline catalyst neutralized. The neutral salt may then be removed or allowed to remain in the product, in which case it is present at a level of 0.5-1.0%. The catalyst may, alternatively, be removed by adsorption on acidic clays or with ion exchangers [7]. Exact maintenance of temperature, pressure, agitation speed, and other parameters are required if the products are to be reproducible, thus poloxamers from different suppliers may exhibit some difference in properties. 

MethyU2-Nitro-l-Propanol (2-Nitro-2-methyl-1 -propanol, /J-Nitroisobutylalcohol). (CH3)2.C(N02).CH20H, mw 119.12, N 11.76%, OB to C02 —127.60%, needles or plates from methanol, mp 90—91°, bp 94.5—95.5° at. 10mm. Easily sol in ethyl methyl ales, eth and w (350p in lOOp at 20°). May be prepd by treating 2-nitropropane with formaldehyde in the presence of an alkaline catalyst, such as K bicarbonate (Refs 1, 2, 3 4). On nitration, it yields an expl, 2-Methyl-2-Nitro-l-Propanol Nitrate (see below)... 

Because alkylphenol has a more acid H atom in the phenolic OH group, the ethoxylation with NaOH or NaOCH3 and other alkaline catalysts gives a narrow range EO distribution. 

The hydroxypropyl derivative of guar GaM (HPG) was prepared with propylene oxide in the presence of an alkaline catalyst. HPG was subsequently etherified as such with docosylglycidyl ether in isopropanol and presence of an alkaline catalyst [432]. The peculiar features of the long-chain hydrophobic derivatives were ascribed to a balance between inter- and intramolecular interactions, which is mainly governed by the local stress field. 

Either alkaline or acid catalysts can be used but industrially alkaline catalysts such as sodium or potassium hydroxide (at around 0.5% weight) are preferred owing to the speed of the reaction. 

Ethylene oxide 0 / CH2CH2 (—CH2CH20—) Heating (with caution ) in presence of acidic or alkaline catalysts Crystalline, m.p. 66°C... 

Thermosetting resin produced by the reaction of phenol and formaldehyde in the presence of either an acid or an alkaline catalyst. In rubber compounding these resins are used as plasticisers and reinforcing materials. Phenyl-a-Naphthylamine... 

The scope of CAR-CLS in analytical determinations has been expanded with one other type of CL reaction (luminol-based CL reactions are restricted to direct determinations of metal ions and some indirect ones). The so-called energy transfer CL is one interesting alternative, with a high analytical potential. As stated above, PO-CL systems based on the reaction between an oxalate ester and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a suitable fluorophore (whether native or derivatized) and an alkaline catalyst are prominent examples of energy transfer CL. This technique has proved a powerful tool for the sensitive (and occasionally selective) determination of fluorophores its implementation via the CAR technique is discussed in detail later. 

---